Monday, December 29, 2014

I should have ordered these items with the red pumps since they were in the same sale venue at the time that I ordered, but for some reason, I didn't realize that I wanted them until a second sale had started and after I had shipped the shoes by themselves? I wasn't anticipating the second sale and definitely not anticipating wanting anything more, but while I was just clicking through things after getting the sale email, I noticed there were a few items that I wouldn't mind nabbing at those prices...I think Liz Lisa's timing with sales has been dead on lately. It's really been making me want to buy every time *gullible/easily convinced customer*. Even though I was totally satisfied after my first order of just the red pumps, I still had to go and see if there was anything more since a second opportunity arose and they were giving me a "second chance" wtf. Seriously though, sales get me every time (especially 40% or more which I consider a pretty good deal).

The main image for this listing (above) is very misleading, I think. You can't exactly tell what item the listing is for without reading the name (is the coat? top? hair accessory?). Actually, it's the listing for the top which cannot be seen well at all - especially the details that make it special! In fact, I had no idea Liz Lisa was even selling this knit despite looking at the website practically every day lol. The reason it was even on my radar at all was due to these two stock photos from two different skirt listings (which are advertised with different tops in their main images wtf).

Anyway, I really liked the look of the pink knit in the first photo with the off shoulder and lace detailing. I thought it paired really well with that skirt and would pair well with almost any sukapan from Liz Lisa. Since I recently wrote that himekaji basics post, I was thinking that this is a pretty standard himekaji coordinate - long sleeve knit with sukapan. It's not one that I really put together very much myself (purely because of the weather here), but I do love the combo! I actually don't have very many knits that work well for this kind of coordinate because I don't find it prudent to stock up on them since it's just too hot to wear a long sleeve knit as a top that isn't removable. Every autumn/winter/spring, I am very, very tempted to get one but always end up convincing myself that it isn't necessary and that I could probably get something kind of similar for cheaper at Forever21 because all you really need is a pretty basic pullover knit that's not super fitted and the right length.
This particular knit, however, I thought would be worth purchasing because of the "extras" beyond the basic cable knit top - it's off shoulder, has the tie straps and lace peek detailing on the sleeves. These are things that I'd be hard pressed to find together on a cable knit outside Japan/Liz Lisa imo and make this particular item worth purchasing from Liz Lisa (at a sale price). Anyway, I tracked down the top and found the listing for it by clicking on everything that could possibly be it in the tops category and ending up finding it beneath that ambiguous Yui Kanno catalog photo.

I wasn't sure if white or pink would be better (purple was already sold out), but in the end, I decided that white would be the most versatile. These stock photos worried me a bit because it suddenly seems like it's practically a cropped length in this listing, especially in the front? The knit+sukapan coordinate works best with a knit that's a bit longer (hitting almost at the hip at max length) and with a stretchy panel at the bottom to help it tuck up and sit at the right length (if that makes any sense to anyone besides me). Even though it's the same stock photo model wearing the top in the other two listings, it suddenly looks kind of short and now I'm not sure if my vision of what I want for this top will work out. I think this might have to do with how much is folded over at the top and also the length of the tie straps? It certainly looks like the length I'm aiming for on LL Gals Yui here in the snap coordinates section of lizlisa.com

but she's about 3 inches shorter than me o__o so that doesn't help too much since 3 inches is kind of a lot in this situation.
I ended up just buying it anyway because I really liked it in the stock photos for the other listings lol and had convinced myself most of the way already. I reasoned out that it would be nice to have despite it being a bit too warm to regularly wear in Hawaii because it might be useful on trips in the future? Lol. And I've been dying for a Liz Lisa knit that was reasonably basic (I don't like ruffles and random pom poms and applique and prefer a single color but without a cowl and more than a crew neck) but not too simple at a certain length, so I can create particular kinds of coordinates.TL;DR After much consideration, I bought a top lol.(Sorry to have made you read all that but really my thought process was quite long for this particular item and for some reason I felt compelled to share it lol!)

As it turns out, the knit is not as long as I would have liked but not what I would consider cropped, if that makes any sense. On me, the knit is more true to the fit on the stock photo model than it is on LLgal's Yui. I should have known that since many of the items that fit well on that particular stock photo model fit me reasonably the same. I'm not unhappy with it though! The shorter length makes it easier to tuck in (there isn't loads of extra fabric I have to worry about) but the non-cropped length means I don't have to worry about it peeking out either from being too short.
The material is actually kind of on the thicker side which shouldn't have been a surprise, but I'm always just crossing my fingers that knits will be light and thin. Thicker knits usually mean I'm getting more for my money, but it also means that I'll be less likely to use them because of the climate here. Definitely would not recommend if you live in a tropical climate. I don't think I'd be able to wear it for more than a few minutes in outdoor temperatures higher than like 73F.
I like the lace detailing on the sleeve a lot, but not as much the tie straps. I should have known that because I haven't liked them on any Liz Lisa items I've bought thus far (just me personally - it has nothing to do with the garment itself) because I feel like they look obnoxious because I can't tie them right or style appropriately. For personal wear, I decided to take the front straps and tie them together behind the neck (halter style) and just tuck the straps in the back in lol.

I wanted to purchase an AW14 sukapan to go with the knit because...why not? I do have a few in my wardrobe that I knew would probably be okay with it, but I thought it would be nice to buy a bottom to specifically go with the top in this order and there were a number on sale, so I decided to browse and go for it. I knew I definitely wanted to pick something special to Liz Lisa so probably a floral but not too lacy or high on detail other than the print. That basically eliminated a lot of choices, and I was left with this web-limited sukapan which I generally liked anyway! The retail price is a bit steep (actually more than the regular retail price of most sukapan) but since it was on sale, I thought it would be a good time to get it if I wanted it. I was a bit worried about the length (since it seems a little but short as many Liz Lisa sukapan are), but since I already knew how I wanted to coordinate it, I wasn't overly concerned.

These are actually more like shorts imo. Sometimes sukapan have that skirt layer and then shorts below but this basically has two layers of shorts if that makes sense. You can't tell from the front so much, but it's more obvious in the back, especially if you have a little bit of a butt. I believe it's made of a fleece material which is more appropriate for winter and also makes it quite soft. However, I wouldn't say that it's overwhelmingly warm, and I would probably be able to get away with wearing it here. As always with Liz Lisa products, the print is quite nice and matches the stock photo well. I actually wish the waist line on this was a bit smaller for myself because it sits a bit lower than I'd prefer, but I'm sure a lot of other girls wish it would be bigger, so I can't complain too much. At least I can wear it at all. It pairs reasonably well with the off shoulder knit (which was the intended coordinate) for winter but I think I like it best with a sleeveless or short sleeve top as a simple summer outfit.

I was looking through the outlet for alternate bottoms to go with the off shoulder knit (for a cheaper price than the floral one just in case there was another option I liked) when I came across this skirt. It's obviously very familiar at this point since it's from SS14 and has been available for awhile, but I never wanted to take the chance on purchasing it even at 60% off because I was worried about the fit in the waist area possibly being too big which would really ruin the whole silhouette imo. I realized that denim would probably go really well with the red shoes without being too matchy, so I finally took out my measuring tape and compared to the listed measurements and realized it wouldn't be exorbitantly large if the numbers were reasonably accurate. Finally took the plunge to purchase it after hesitating for months lol. And now I actually have a plan to wear it with something in particular because of the red pumps (although I wasn't sure about the top at the time of purchase). Since the fitted skirt I got in the strawberry 5000yen bag fit pretty well, I had high hopes for this as well even though the material was very different.

The skirt is made of actual denim (as far as I can tell) and not a polyester or cheaper material made to look like denim. To get the skirt off/on you do need to undo/redo the buttons and the straps are not detachable. These things are not surprising to me based on the stock photos but I just wanted to clarify. I think I'm still trying to figure out at which (strap) length to wear this skirt such that I don't look horribly stunted and also so that I will still have a defined waist. I think the fit is okay, but not exactly what I would have preferred. Obviously, it could be a lot worse but I think from the side especially, this skirt is not particularly flattering on my body type. It might work better on someone who is a little curvier. It does work well in the coordinate I had in mind with my red shoes though!

Overall, I'm more-or-less pleased with this order. The knit, despite being a little heavy, is cute and goes great with a lot of Liz Lisa bottoms and works both tucked in and untucked. The sukapan, despite being fleece, can easily transition from winter to spring to summer. As for the denim skirt, I think I just have to experiment a little more to find the right length for the straps, and I'll be happier, but for now, I know it works with the red shoes and that's good enough for me.
This is my third package I have sent with SAL (via Tenso) and it left Japan much faster than the others. Having sent it during the holiday season, it took a little longer for it to process once it arrived in the US though. So far, I think SAL (small package) is a great alternative to EMS with a cheaper price point if you don't mind waiting a few more days for your items to arrive!